With the 2014 season officially over after the Giants defeated the Royals in Game 7 in thrilling fashion on Wednesday night, the 2014-2015 Hot Stove season in Major League Baseball is officially here. The Indians wrapped up their season almost five weeks ago, so they are already knee deep in their offseason preparations, and the IBI's Tony Lastoria takes a deep and insightful look into the Indians first task this offseason: the decision on which players to remove from their 40-man roster.

The Indians are going to explore a lot of trades this offseason, many upon many of which will not come to fruition. Some of their key players like Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber and Yan Gomes are untouchable, but in the right deal some of their core pieces could be dealt. One of those players is second baseman, and while a trade may ultimately not happen this offseason, the IBI's Jeff Ellis looks at four trades he would consider for Kipnis.

Not even a month into the offseason, Terry Francona already has his bullpen warming. On Tuesday, two excavators sat side-by-side on a mound of dirt in the area once called the Indians bullpen. Come next year, the section will house relievers from both the home and visiting teams, marking one of the several new changes at Progressive Field in 2015.

Jason Kipnis' good 2013 season earned him a big contract extension earlier this season and it looked like he would be one of the key cogs to the lineup for years to come. But his performance went backwards this season and now the decision looks to be a regrettable one for the Tribe. For the Indians to take the next step next season and get back to the playoffs, the IBI's Hayden Grove believes getting Kipnis back on track and healthy is a big key.

The weather in much of Northeast Ohio will be much warmer than normal on Tuesday. Is it making you miss going out to the ball park? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the Twins and their continued search for a manager, which reliever could be a commodity this offseason, what could happen with Yoenis Cespedes, and more.

With the World Series set to wrap up on Tuesday or Wednesday night, the official kickoff to the MLB Hot Stove season is set to get underway by this weekend. The IBI's Tony Lastoria looks at the roster decisions looming for the Indians, looks at their payroll situation and what they can truly afford this offseason, and looks at their key needs for next season. He also provides his thoughts on the Mike Aviles decision and more.

It's here.....the first Cleveland Indians depth chart for the 2015 season from Cleveland all the way down to Low-A Lake County. These are projected opening day rosters for every team with the current players on hand throughout the organization, but this is of course the first draft as trades, free agent signings, waiver claims and player releases will have a ripple effect where players throughout the organization are projected to begin the 2015 season.

An often repeated phrase surrounding Cleveland baseball over the past two decades regards how poor the organization has fared in the draft. But exactly how bad has Cleveland been? And how do they stack up against the rest of baseball? Join Jim Piascik as he continues his series of analyzing Cleveland’s draft history with the 2003 draft, which turned out to be a surprisingly decent haul for the organization when compared to the rest of Major League Baseball.

With the offseason already here for the Cleveland Indians and the official kickoff to the offseason just days after the conclusion of the World Series, it is time to start looking at the roster and who might return in 2014. Here is a list of the Major League and Minor League free agents throughout the organization, and more...

The Royals took Game 3 of the World Series last night. Is momentum swinging in their favor? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on Joe Maddon exercising his opt-out clause, what kind of contract Victor Martinez is looking for, the contract details of Andrew Friedman's deal with the Dodgers is released, and more.

Strictly based on the numbers, Cleveland exercising utility man Mike Aviles’ $3.5 million option for 2015 makes no sense. Going beyond the surface numbers, however, shows why the move is defensible. Join Jim Piascik as he breaks down Aviles’ hidden value to the organization and why picking up his option makes more sense than it appears on first glance.

The World Series is tied up at one all. Who do you have in game three? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on John Hart being named head of baseball ops in Atlanta, a former Indian favorite signed a one year deal, what the Giants plan to do with Pablo Sandoval, and more.

The Indians made some news on Wednesday as they picked up the $3.5 million club option on utility infielder Mike Aviles. To some this may come as a surprise, but if anyone has been following what Tony has been saying on this site the past month or so, it was not. The IBI's Jay Frierson provides the news on the Aviles decision and more...

The Indians are home this postseason for a variety of reasons. The offense was too inconsistent. They had too many down years from key cogs in the lineup. The injury bug bit them too much. The bullpen had trouble protecting late leads. But the one reason that stood tall above everything else was their awful showing defensively as they were the worst fielding team in baseball in 2014. The IBI's Hayden Grove looks at the defense and why it is a key area to improve going into 2015.

Projected statistics for 2015 have been posted by Steamer Projections Blog and, while it’s difficult to predict what a team will look like six months before Opening Day, it offers Tribe fans clamoring for next year an early look at what they might expect. The IBI's Steve Garton reviews the projections and offers up his quick thoughts on them.

Despite missing the playoffs the Cleveland Indians made some great strides in 2014 and have expanded on an already promising young core of players. The Indians will look to improve the roster this offseason, so the IBI's Graydon Fox decided to dive deep into the numbers from 2014 to find out where the Indians can improve knowing they have limited money to work with.

The offseason is once again here for the Indians. After the conclusion of the World Series the Indians will embark on one of their most important offseason's in their history as they look to make a few moves to make this team a legitimate World Series threat. IBI newcomer Anthony Kaylor has his own checklist of what he things the Indians should do this offseason, and he shares it in his debut piece for the site.

It has been well documented over the years that the Cleveland Indians have a propensity of drafting more “polished” college players in the first round of the draft, but in 2011 they decided to roll the dice with the number eight overall pick on a prep star out of Florida, shortstop Francisco Lindor. He has the potential to be a star with the Indians, but several fans have suggested that the Indians should trade him for a big bat at third base or the outfield. The IBI's Sam Camp explains why that would be a bad idea...

The Detroit Tigers were eliminated from the playoffs for the fourth straight year without a championship, as one of the clearest teams in win-now mode fell short yet again. Now, with Max Scherzer and Victor Martinez headed for free agency and the Kansas City Royals playing deep into the playoffs, there seems to be a train of thought emerging that the Tigers' window is closing. Such an event would be welcome news for Cleveland, but Jim Piascik does not think it is true. Join Jim to find out why after the jump.

The World Series matchup is now set! Do the Royals or Giants win it all? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the Rangers managerial decision, the new Rays front office, where Nelson Cruz could be leaning, and more.